Mineral Exploration Targeting

The mineral exploration industry has a need for more accurate targeting of mineral systems. As exploration moves to more challenging terrain to uncover new mineral potential, new approaches to ground selection and better detection technology are required to cost-effectively prospect in this new exploration space.

Researchers at The University of Western Australia have responded to this need by developing models and methods to more accurately predict mineral deposits and ensure exploration efforts are more targeted and successful.

Technological development

Since 2006, The University of Western Australia (UWA)’s Centre for Exploration Targeting (CET) has been developing new techniques to image and automatically detect mineralisation and features of interest from geoscientific datasets.

A collaboration between the CET, Barrick Gold and Geosoft has resulted in the commercialization of these techniques and the creation of image analysis software which can help explorers improve their interpretations. The tools are available as montaj plus Extensions to Oasis montaj.

Prospecting for New Gold Discoveries

The new CET grid analysis software has become an indispensable tool for minerals industry leader Barrick Gold. "The most relevant application to date has been on airborne gravity data in the Lake Victoria Goldfields," says Matthew Hope, Barrick's Project Geophysicist for Africa/Eurasia, "to assist in mapping dislocations and gradient changes commonly associated with greenstone gold deposits."